Building awareness of abuse and neglect Child abuse

Building awareness of abuse and neglect

Child abuse [defined] • Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act [CAPTA] amended by Keeping Children and Families Safe Act [2003] – Any recent act or failure to act on part of parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation or – An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm • [a “child” is a person under age 18 who is not an emancipated minor RFK Inc. 2012

Major types of abuse and neglect [Federal CAPTA definitions] Physical abuse • Non-accidental physical injury [ranging from minor bruises to severe fractures or death] • As a result of punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, throwing, stabbing, choking, hitting [with hand, stick, strap or other object], burning, or otherwise harming a child • That is inflicted by a parent, caregiver, or other person who has responsibility for the child. • Considered abuse regardless of whether caregiver intended harm. RFK Inc. 2012

Major types of abuse and neglect [Federal CAPTA definitions] Neglect – failure of caregiver to provide for a child’s basic needs • Physical [e. g. food, shelter, supervision] • Medical [e. g. necessary medical or mental health treatment] • Education [e. g. child’s educational or special education needs] • Emotional [e. g. failure to provide psychological care, permitting child to use alcohol or other drugs] May be exceptions for cultural or religious factors RFK Inc. 2012

Major types of abuse and neglect [Federal CAPTA definitions] Sexual abuse • Includes activities by a parent or caregiver such as fondling a child’s genitals, penetration, incest, rape, sodomy, indecent exposure, and exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials RFK Inc. 2012

Major types of abuse and neglect [Federal CAPTA definitions] Emotional abuse • A pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth • May include constant criticism, threats, or rejection, as well as withholding love, support, or guidance. RFK Inc. 2012

Other types of abuse and neglect [Federal CAPTA definitions] Abandonment • [defined by many states as a form of neglect] • A child is considered abandoned when: – Parent’s identity or whereabouts are unknown – Child left alone in circumstances where child suffers serious harm – Parent has failed to maintain contact with child or provide support for a specified period of time RFK Inc. 2012

Other types of abuse and neglect [Federal CAPTA definitions] Substance abuse • Parental exposure of child to harm due to mother’s use of an illegal drug or other substance • Manufacture of methamphetamine in the presence of a child • Selling, distributing, or giving illegal drugs or alcohol to a child • Use of a controlled substance by a caregiver that impairs caregiver’s ability to adequately care for the child RFK Inc. 2012

Other types of abuse and neglect [Federal CAPTA definitions] Vicarious abuse • Child exposure to the abuse or neglect of a parent, sibling, or other relative • [e. g. a child who witnesses domestic violence directed at his or her parent; child who witnesses abuse of a sibling] • [also…sometimes a perpetrator will injure or kill a child’s pet to frighten them into not disclosing abuse] RFK Inc. 2012

Statistics [2009 national data] • 3. 6 million children investigated by social service agencies for alleged maltreatment in 2009 • 19. 5% of cases were substantiated involving 702, 000 children • No prior history in 75% of cases • Most cases referred by school, medical, and law enforcement personnel • 78% of cases involve abuse by one or both parents RFK Inc. 2012

Statistics Psychological abuse [2009 national data] RFK Inc. 2012 78. 3% of cases are neglect 17. 8 -- physical abuse 9. 5% -- sexual abuse 7. 6% -- psychological abuse 2. 4% -- medical abuse 9. 6% -- other [abandonment, congenital drug abuse, vicarious, etc. ] • [numbers do not add to 100 because of multiple causation] Question: Will this precise distribution of types of abuse be seen at your RFKC? • • •

Will this precise distribution of types of abuse be seen at your RFK? Yes and no… • Most likely the highest % of campers at any local RFKC will have substantiated cases of child neglect • However, local camps may have higher percentage of physically and sexually abused children. Why? – Most camps take only a small percentage of eligible children – Social services may refer children who are most in need of camp [i. e. multiply abused, more severely abused or neglected] RFK Inc. 2012

Racial and cultural factors • In terms of sheer numbers there are more Caucasian children who are abused or neglected • However, in proportion to numbers in the population… – Greater % of Black, Native American, Alaska American, and children of multi-racial backgrounds – Hispanic about same % as Caucasian – Smaller % of Asian children RFK Inc. 2012

Behaviors associated with types of abuse Precautions: • Behaviors of children are influenced by many factors apart from abuse or neglect • Two children with the same pattern of abuse or neglect may react in entirely different ways • Having said this, some behaviors tend to be seen more frequently among children with certain types of abuse RFK Inc. 2012

Behaviors associated with types of abuse Neglect • Developmentally delayed due to limited attention or guidance • Low self-worth • Low socialization. May not know how to act in certain situations • May not know proper boundaries • May hoard food or possessions; may steal items • May crave personal attention RFK Inc. 2012

Behaviors associated with types of abuse Physical Abuse • May be inappropriately fearful of/withdrawn from authorities • May be inappropriately hostile or aggressive due to modeling what one has witnessed • Low self-worth • Certain situations at camp may trigger fearful or aggressive reactions – A child crying – A “disciplinary” situation such as child breaking something, wetting the bed, doing something wrong RFK Inc. 2012

Behaviors associated with types of abuse Sexual abuse • May be fearful of certain situations such as bed time, changing clothes, going to the bathroom or taking a shower, getting picture taken • May sleep under the bed or sleep fully dressed • May avoid physical contact • Or…may be sexualized to a greater or lesser degree – Act out sexual scripts – Attempt sexual interactions with others – Engage in or allow indiscriminate acts of touching or body contact RFK Inc. 2012

Behaviors associated with types of abuse Emotional or psychological abuse May be mistrusting of others Low self-worth May have developmental delays May sabotage one’s own chances for success or happiness in a situation for fear of being “disappointed” – May not accept a birthday box – May not readily believe that you love or care about them • In general, it may be hard for an emotionally abused child to override negative messages that he or she has internalized over several months or years • • RFK Inc. 2012

Child Trauma Two key elements define trauma • Witnessing something threatening or harmful to self or others • Perceiving the situation to be beyond one’s coping capability [One can learn more specifics about trauma by reading Wikipedia or DSM-IV entries on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Acute Stress Disorder] Not all acts of abuse or neglect are traumatizing Children can be traumatized by situations that do not involve abuse or neglect RFK Inc. 2012

Child Trauma Many RFKC children have been traumatized by their abuse or neglect Trauma typically stems from: 1. Victimization – house fire, mugging, robbery or kidnapping, rape, exploitation, etc. 2. Loss – death or separation from loved one 3. Family pathology – chaotic or criminal families, absent or withdrawn parents The abuse/neglect of many RFKC children may tie in with one or more of these factors RFK Inc. 2012

Reactions to trauma Impact – immediate reaction to trauma [e. g. shock, intense fear, crying hysterically, etc. ] Recoil – natural feelings and coping behaviors in the aftermath of a traumatic situation Reorganization – occurs only with the assistance of caring, loving mentors and professionals who know how to restore a child to a pre-trauma state RFK Inc. 2012

Reactions to trauma What one will witness among some kids at RFKC are those emotions and behaviors that represent “recoiling” from past, unresolved trauma • Sleep problems including night terrors, nightmares, bedwetting • Startle reactions to stimuli associated with one’s trauma • Hypervigalent for any sign that traumatic event may recur • Difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks at hand as a result of hypervigalence RFK Inc. 2012

Triggers A “trigger” is any stimulus or condition that takes one out of a normal mode of conduct and less mature or maladaptive forms of behavior. • Certain stimuli associated with past trauma can be triggers for some children • A common trigger for children in general is any transition from one activity to another. RFK Inc. 2012

Implications “Everyone out of the bounce house. It’s 30/30 timel!” RFK Inc. 2012 • Recognizing common “triggers” such as transition from activity time to chapel time, or the end of swim time, etc. can help volunteers to anticipate and manage camper behavior more effectively. • It can also be helpful for counselors to recognize the reasons for often quirky triggers of a traumatized child.

Conclusion • Understanding abuse, neglect, and child trauma and resulting behaviors will assist RFKC volunteers as they plan and implement a week of positive memories for their campers. RFK Inc. 2012

3 FOR 3 Before we move on… Let’s have three questions about this section. AND / OR three Take-a-ways RFK Inc. 2012